Midwest Marauder: Promises of Missouri

by admin on July 12, 2012

Midwest Marauder

* Someone very dear and close to me made a revealing observation about this piece, one which I have never thought about during this writing phase of mine. It was bought to my attention that no matter how innocent or artistic a piece may be to me, others may find it quite offensive and the citizens of the content may be outright insulted. That, by far, was not my intent when creating this. Again, it is merely an outsiders opinion, not one based on facts or hard data. With that being said, I submit this of my own accord, not implementing anyone directly or indirectly in this material. I and I alone express this view and will be held responsible for all if any ramifications for said published piece. Thank you, Brain, for bringing this to light. You may not know this, but I do listen to you.

Promises of Missouri

Missouri, Missouri

How your words are hollow, echoing through your limestone caves, slithering across your River, only to come out as falsehoods and lies. With all your surface beauty, your infrastructure crumbles from within.

You promised me family values, emphasizing the importance of marriage and children when the reality is the matrimonial unions are rocky, unstable; the couples only going through the motions, displaying a facade of unity, easily seen through once behind their closed doors. Your children unhealthy, obese with greed and lazy with technology, not desiring to reach their full potential, choosing instead to stay complacent within the false security of their hometown, their futures bleak and unsure.

You promised me community, a wellspring of hardworking individuals driven to better themselves and relish in their historically rich state. No, that is not what is here. The population and the powers that be have allowed the McCorporations to waltz in, dazzling them with empty promises and cheap goods, wreaking havoc among the locally owned businesses, the citizens forgetting and turning their backs on the very entrepreneurs who had catered to their needs, fed them, clothed them, The Marts and The Depots leading the way. Shame on you for allowing this travesty to unfold. When the wells run dry, when the last red cent is gone from your children, they will depart just as quickly as they came, leaving disappointment in their wake.

I arrived here under the assumption that agriculture and industry would be thriving, being essentially the epitome of the Midwest. What is here is an economic train wreck. Your factories closed, leaving thousands unemployed, further destroying families. Factories whose chimneys once spewed plumed smoke thick with promise and profitability now stand dormant with abandonment; a solemn reminder of what once was, yet another black eye on your already battered face, never to fully heal. Buildings left empty, lining neighborhoods with reminders of destitution. Land untouched littered with ‘for sale’ signs, waiting impatiently for buyers.

Truman, the great son of your hills would not allow this, neither should you. Follow through with your idealism of simple living, family values, and prosperity. Be a state of your word, separating you from the others. “Show me” that you are better than this.